Unconquerable
by Irene Djo
Summary: In the wake of Order 66, the Jedi Order is a shadow of what it once was. The remaining members of the once proud Order are trying to not only pick up the pieces of their lives, but also must work to foil a plot that could send the galaxy into an even greater darkness. Semi-sequel to In War.
1. Prologue

"_In having survived, Yoda and Obi-Wan aren't exceptions to the rule. I'm certain that dozens of Jedi escaped with their lives, and in due time you will have the pleasure of killing many of them. But of greater importance is the fact that their order has been crushed. Finished, Lord Vader. Do I make myself clear?_"

- Emperor Palpatine to Darth Vader

**Prologue**

_ I am a Jedi_.

The proclamation didn't seem to carry much weight when made inwardly. The sopping Knight struggled against the crushing weight of failure and untended wounds that pressed against his chest.

"I am a Jedi," he whispered hoarsely to empty space, trying to convince himself of the half-truth.

How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? He had only been trying to do what he felt was right. He had only wanted to save _her_….

The thought of _her_ elicited a guttural moan. No. He couldn't afford the luxury of dwelling on that glaring weakness. He had to fight. He could not fight for that which was potentially already beyond help. He had to focus on the present—_for now_. He had to live. He had to escape.

The Knight—or at least, that is what he used to be called—levered himself onto his forearms, craning his neck to get a glimpse of the warehouse. In the pitch black darkness, he attempted to use the Force to pierce the blackness and give him insight into a way out of the sticky situation that he had somehow blundered into.

But the Force was as elusive as ever. He reached out to the Force…and was rejected with stone-cold denial.

The Knight shuddered violently from a cold that came from beyond the puddle he had landed in. Had the Force finally abandoned him after so much betrayal and so many failures? Clenching his eyes tightly shut, he had to concede that it was indeed possible that the Force had refused him and had finally sang it's last song in his ears.

In truth, he had started to believe months ago when this whole fiasco began that he was indeed Force-forsaken, but his comrades and friends in the Order had assured him that was not possible. But at moments like this, when the darkness began to close in around him in every way possible….

The Knight tugged at his coarse Jedi robes that the Temple quartermaster had given him a year ago to make sure that they still existed, a remnant of his past. "I am a Jedi." _And Jedi do not give up_…_Even if they want to. _He could not afford the luxury of giving up. He had to live…because the _one_ he loved was not going to be given the chance to do so unless he tried.

With that proclamation, he pushed his body past what he believed his limits were and managed to stagger to his feet. He stumbled to where his lightsaber had fallen and clipped the blade to his belt with trembling fingers.

The Knight moved with heavy footfalls, tripping every few steps as he fumbled in the darkness to reach the door casting light across the end of the chamber. His head lowered, he moved mechanically toward the faint light that seeped under the old doorframe. Just as he was about to reach and palm open the door, it slid open without his command.

Mechanical breathing echoed in the previously silent warehouse and it turned the Knight's blood to ice in his veins. His eyes blearily focused on two large, black booted feet and he drug his gaze up to meet the uncompassionate blackness of Darth Vader's masked face.

The Knight stepped backward, reaching for his saber but not igniting the blade. "I am a Jedi," he said simply, clinging to the phrase as if it were his salvation and not his curse.

The Sith Lord was silent for a moment, as if considering the young Knight's words. Vader gave a minimal shrug, momentarily revealing the humanity that had been Anakin Skywalker that still lived somewhere deep inside the mechanical shell. "You _were_ a Jedi. Now you _are _vermin. But you still have some use to me yet." With that proclamation, Darth Vader flung the Knight across the room with a noncommittal flick of his hand and the Force.

_**A Jedi shall know not anger. Nor hatred. Nor love**_**.** The Knight's last coherent thoughts before he gave in to agonizing, blissful oblivion was that possibly—quite probably—the Jedi philosophy against attachment had been correct all along.


	2. Chapter 1

**Ch. 1**

Weary. That was the word that the small party of bedraggled Jedi would use to describe themselves. Exhausted to their very core. The small party had been running with little food and even less sleep since the Clone War had ended with the resounding seismic shock of Order 66. The meager survival rations stowed aboard theirbeat up G-Type light shuttle had dwindled to being classified as bleak.

Only hours ago, the four Jedi aboard the small shuttle had evaded capture and certain death yet again. Only one was awake, sitting in the pilot's seat in the cockpit, staring out at the dizzying sapphire swirl of hyperspace.

Allyah Khai rolled her neck from side to side, massaging her aching neck with one hand. The Dathomiri Jedi's dark hair, which once had been tightly bound in the warrior braids reminiscent her ancestors, hung loosely down her back in an unwashed knot. The silver ring that ran through her left nostril, which had once been a proud signifier of a trial that she had overcome on her homeworld, was no longer polished until it shined. Dark circles marked the skin under her eyes.

Her face dropped to her hands in an uncharacteristic display of weakness. _Force, how did it all go so wrong? _ Tears leaked through her dirty fingers.

"Aren't you tired?" A green hand appeared in the human woman's peripheral vision, offering a steaming mug of caf, startling her from her dark musing. Allyah hastily wiped the tears away. Noki'ido lowered himself into the copilot's chair with a plop.

Allyah raised her eyes to meet her lifelong friend's emerald gaze. Yes. Of course she was tired. More tired than she had allowed others to see. She was tired in body, mind, and soul. Khai had been tired for years, but had kept going with the encouragement of—

No. She could not allow those thoughts. She had duties to attend to—duties to the Order, to the Force, and to her remaining friends.

"Me? Tired? We're having too much fun for me to be tired." Allyah managed a half-smile at the Twi'lek sitting next to her and accepted the caf with a grateful nod. She studied her companion with a curious, concerned stare. _He_ looked tired. His once vibrant green skin had a mossy, dull tint to it from expending more energy than he was able to take in. He had been healing the shuttle's small crew of their various injuries during their travels and had not been able to take sufficient care of himself.

Noki'ido was a Jedi healer to his very core. He had taken an oath years ago to put the health of others first and to heal whenever he was able. He had taken that seriously, especially since the Clone Wars began. Allyah had watched her once joyful, loud friend become more and more withdrawn as he moved from planet to planet, seeking to mend the wounds left behind in the carnage of war.

When the Clone War ended and the Jedi Order's own personal hell began, Noki'ido had deliberately sought out other Jedi with the intent of preserving their lives. At times it seemed as though he alone could keep them from the fiery suffering that seemed to close in around them at every turn, a beacon of peace and sanity in the midst of chaos. This mission had come at a great personal cost to the healer. He had been the one who found her. He had been the one who had saved her. And Allyah had never seen him so drained.

"You are the one who is tired, dear friend. You can't hide it from me," Allyah muttered, sipping her caf.

It was Noki'ido's turn to study Allyah. Neither friend had ever been able to keep secrets from the other. Neither of them had ever wanted to keep secrets from one another…until recently.

"And what of you? It seems as though I'm not the only one trying to hide blatant truths," the Twi'lek stated bluntly. "I _know_ you. I know that you have been planning something."

A brief flash of pain crossed Allyah's face, but was quickly extinguished. Allyah sat for a moment, contemplating his words. Of _course _she was planning. In their mad dash from Corellia hours ago, they had left behind valuable information and a member of their group.

When she finally spoke, she spoke slowly, "I am not planning anything that will happen quickly." Noki'ido nodded in acceptance. He could be patient. The Twi'lek knew of his friend's regret and pain from their latest retreat. Not only did it seep between her mental shields like molten agony, but he also knew very well what she had lost personally.

Noki'ido was a wise Jedi. And wise Jedi did not pry. When the time was right, Allyah would speak more of her plans and pain. Until then, prying seemed imprudent.

The pair sat in companionable silence until Allyah slowly but surely slumped lower and lower into the pilot's chair and gave in to the sleep that had been beckoning, her cup of caf barely touched. Noki'ido smiled down at his friend's slumbering form and closed his eyes, sinking into a meditative state that would pass the time until the rest of the crew woke to discuss their plans.

* * *

_"Master, I need to confess." Guilty eyes dropped as the tall Jedi Master sat before his Padawan, concern lighting his eyes. _

_ "Yes, Padawan?" _

_"I have strayed." _

_ The Master waited in silence for the Padawan to continue. _

_ "We—I have been engaged in behavior unbecoming of a Jedi. Attachment is forbidden-" _

_ The Master watched as the Padawan gazed into his eyes, begging for some kind of reaction, for some kind of punishment to fit the crime. Shame and heartbreak marred the Padawan's youthful features, staining them with an age that did not fit the human's twenty years. "And what of this…" He searched to find the appropriate word. "…relationship now?" _

_ The Padawan's face fell for a moment, then resumed the typical Jedi façade of blank serenity. "We ended it, Master. It is nothing."_

* * *

Darkness. That was all he could see. Jedi Knight Zave Vorun moaned softly to himself. _Why do I always seem to wake in darkness?_

"Because it's what you have wanted all along, " a deep voice answered Vorun's thought. Vorun bolted upright, reaching out with the Force, his very senses trembling as the memory of the warehouse came rushing back to him.

Betrayal. Agony. Loss.

_Vader. _

Zave felt fear rising within him as he realized the implications of being a captive of the Dark Lord of the Sith. There was no way things were going to go anywhere but downhill at this point. He shook his head as if trying to shake off the fear and doubt. No. He was a Jedi. And he always had options for his fate. Zave pushed the fear he felt down, squeezing it into a small compartment of his heart that he could not reach for the time being. He could not afford the luxury to be afraid.

_Fear led to anger. Anger led to hate. And hate could only lead to—_

"Your freedom?"

Was the Dark Lord mocking him? Zave swallowed his fear and spoke, injecting as much defiance and venom into his voice as possible, "What do _you _want?"

"Perhaps we can make a trade."

* * *

"So…what now?" The question seemed to hang between the four Jedi as their ship soared through hyperspace. Tallisibeth "Scout" Enwandung-Esterhazy, the Padawan who had voiced the question that seemed to be on everyone's mind, tugged anxiously at the fiery braid that was separated from the rest of her red mane.

The discouraged silence that followed the question was broken by Jedi Master Ry-Gaul, "We will go to Acherin."

"That's in Wild Space," Noki'ido observed. "What could we find there? Lawlessness undoubtedly will be a great cover because we can escape Imperial space, but what can we accomplish that far out?"

"We will find friends there. I received an encrypted message from a Knight before we left Corellia. There will be some sort of relative safety in the Red Twins System," Ry-Gaul's gray eyes flashed with certainty.

"How do we know we can trust this message? Do you know who sent it? How do we know that we won't be flying into a trap?" Allyah spoke up, brow furrowing as she carefully studied the venerable Jedi Master.

"Ah, young Shadow, so much suspicion within you," Ry-Gaul smiled, raking a hand through his white hair. He continued speaking before Khai could interrupt him in defense. "I understand. Suspicion comes with your trade. But don't fear. I just _know_ this is right. If you cannot trust my contact, trust me. Trust the Force."

"I sense no danger down this path for now. I do not believe we are entering certain doom by flying the course to Acherin," Noki'ido added, his eyes clouding over momentarily as he sought the guidance of the Force. "And if needed, we can stop in the Outer Rim to get supplies."

The four Jedi stared at one another, accepting the decision. After all, it was better than nothing. "We trust you, Master. If anyone knows how to disappear, it is you," Allyah added.

The large, white haired man grew quiet again. Though he had spent years in undercover operations for the Order, he just hoped that their trust was well founded and that they could indeed remain anonymous in their journeys.

* * *

_"You should have listened." The words echoed in his ears, reverberating into his soul. His heart dropped as he raced across the duracrete floors of the hangarbay to the broken bodies of his comrades. _

_ He searched frantically—_

"He's dreaming, M'Lord."

_Green eyes set against green skin stared sightlessly at the ceiling, mouth open in a silent warning cry on the hangar floor. He knelt by the body of his fallen friend and closed the unseeing eyes for the last time. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of pale skin—too pale—stained with red_.

_He fell to his knees, cradling the broken body to his chest. This could _not _be happening. This should not be happening. _

"If you obey me, this does not have to happen."

_ He turned, startled. How did the dark one always find him? _

"If you will obey me, you will save her."

_ The Knight lowered his forehead to the achingly cold body curled on his lap. "I will do what I must." _

Zave Vorun woke with a start. Mechanical breathing echoed in his ears. "I am a Jedi," he whispered brokenly.

"What you saw is what is to come," Darth Vader stated simply.

"I can't." Vorun closed his eyes, trying to will away the echoes of grief that clung to him like a wet blanket.

"If you truly love her, you will consider my offer. I do not give mercy often." With those parting words, the Dark Lord strode out of the room, leaving the Knight alone and haunted by the shadows that stretched long before and behind him.


	3. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2**

Darth Vader looked down at the Jedi Knight who was writhing in pain at his feet. Though most of what had made Anakin Skywalker human had been burned away in the fires of Mustafar, the Dark Lord of the Sith still remembered what it was to love. He still remembered the control that attachment could have over someone.

And he fully intended to exercise that power over the Knight. He knew how love stories ended for Jedi. He had lived it. He would do what he had to in order to gain the power necessary to fulfill his desires.

As much as Darth Vader knew about love, he knew just as much of hate. He passionately hated Darth Sidious. He hated what the Emperor had done to him. He hated how he had manipulated him. He hated what the Darth Sidious had asked him to do in order to gain the power to save those he loved. He hated how he had used Anakin Skywalker as a tool and had transformed Anakin into the monster that was Darth Vader. He hated Darth Sidious more than he hated himself.

Had Vader succeeded in everything else he had set out to do on Mustafar, he would have returned to Coruscant to kill the Emperor for all of the deception and destruction in his life. However, things had definitely not gone as he had planned. And so, Vader was biding his time.

He was in search of the means to grow stronger than his Master.

He was in search of the means to destroy Darth Sidious.

Vader believed that he had found such means. He had happened across a few stray notes in Yoda's personal files as he'd searched the Jedi Temple for useful intelligence, leading him to an investigative team—

A tortured scream cut through Vader's thoughts as the Knight finally gave in to voicing his agony. "Are you ready to consider my offer?"

Vorun's ragged breathing hung in the air between them. "I-I don't understand," he finally managed, wiping blood from his mouth.

"Your understanding is of no consequence to me. Your friend has something that I desire. If you get it for me, both of us can benefit from this arrangement. No further explanation is necessary," Vader responded darkly.

"But why—" Another thick scream pierced the air.

"I told you. No more questions. Will you obey me?"

"I don't know where your Holocron is. She would have told me-" Desperation soaked the Knight's voice.

"_She_ does." Vader left no room for argument. He could tell by the Knight's pale features that he was close to breaking.

"Wh-what? No…" Disbelief clouded Vorun's features, but quickly changed t to pained betrayal and then realization. "She'll never tell you. She would die first. She knows what it could do."

"Oh, but she will tell _you_."

* * *

The Jedi plotted a course zigzagging across the galaxy to throw off any potential pursuers. Vorzyd—Calamari—Kessel—and then finally, Hutt Space, the gateway to Wild Space. The quick jumps in and out of hyperspace left no time for a supply stop. They would load up once they reached the Smuggler's moon, Nar Shaddaa.

"Stay close when we arrive, young one. The Smuggler's Moon is not an ideal place to get lost," Ry-Gaul cautioned as he looked down at Scout. The Padawan struggled not to fidget under the large Master's gaze.

Scout looked uneasily at the glowing orange moon looming in the shuttle's viewport. She had a bad feeling about the moon, but it was quite possible that the feeling was founded out of days of hunger, exhaustion, and mild paranoia at every turn. After all, no one else had sensed any ill intent concerning their brief stop. Surely it was her imagination. Nevertheless, a shiver ran down her spine as they entered the atmosphere of the cityscape planet.

"We will stay on planet for no longer than two days. We will split up into pairs and will meet back at the shuttle at 0600 in two days," the Jedi Master looked at the other three Jedi as he instructed them on the plan. He handed them their commlinks and a small piece of flimsy bearing a complicated code. "If there is any trouble, we can reach one another by this encryption code on our commlinks. This is only in an emergency. We need to maintain anonymity."

With that, the elder Jedi turned to the controls and guided the ship into it's assigned docking bay.

Once they landed, the four split into twos, Noki'ido escorting Khai away, arm in arm and Ry-Gaul leading Scout as a father would a daughter.

Scout followed closely behind the imposing man, who easily towered over her by at least a foot. Many passersby stared, but most thieves or ill-wishers shied away from the pair. Though Master Ry-Gaul's hair had silvered years before, he was not a man to be trifled with. He quickly fell in step with the crowd on the sidewalk, blending easily into the throng. Scout tried to imitate his gate and posture, leaving barely a step of room between them as they strode confidently through the spaceport.

Scout's nose wrinkled as she inhaled the smells of the humid planet. "It smells here."

"Smells…?" The Jedi Master looked amused.

"It smells…._interesting_, sir," Scout winced as a hot wave of exotic spices hit in the face as they passed by restaurants and shops. Though Scout's appetite was immediately extinguished by the intense scents, Ry-Gaul felt his stomach twist with hunger.

"Yes. Well, let's set up camp, scout out some supplies, and get something to eat. We want to be as productive as possible."

* * *

"We'll take the Mynock." Noki'ido ordered for the pair as they sat down in a seedy little Twi'lek café in the middle levels of Nar Shaddaa.

Allyah took a long swig of the ale the bartender placed in front of her. She groaned with a brief flash of pleasure. Her green skinned friend eyed her quizzically. "It's just been so long since I've tasted anything this good—"

"It's alright, my friend. No real need to explain. I understand," Noki'ido smiled as he took a sip of his ale. "I haven't had authentic food from my homeworld in far too long." He nodded in thanks to the server who dropped the plate of Mynock between them.

Without hesitation the two dug in to the food, picking at it with their fingers. In between bites, with mouths full, they began to plot their course through the Smuggler's Moon. "Scout and Ry will get more rations. We can get ditch our old robes and do some minor repairs on the shuttle."

The healer regarded his friend carefully. There was a slightly manic tone to her voice. Her eyes were bright with exhaustion. "First, we will go find a place to rest. We both need it."

Allyah nodded hesitantly. She stood and dropped a credit chip on the table. "Fair enough."

They wandered into the lower levels until they found a sign flashing _VACANCY_. The walls oozed the typical Nar Shaddaa stench, but neither of the travelers seemed to mind.

"I need to get clean." Allyah walked toward the refresher unit, shrugging out of her jacket unapologetically as she walked down the narrow hallway.

"By all means." Noki'ido reinforced the door's locking mechanism and flopped down on the sleep couch. "You will hear no arguments from me."

It was not long before his acute hearing could hear the soft sound of the human woman crying alone in the shower.

* * *

_"A mission, I have for the two of you." _

Allyah turned the water as hot as it could go, ignoring the sour stench of sulfur that filled the refresher unit from Nar Shaddaa's treated water.

_ The two Jedi knelt before the diminuitive Jedi Master, bowing their heads in acceptance. _

_ "Dangerous, it will be. Much you may have to sacrifice. Your very identities, you must give up. On the front lines of the war, you will no longer fight. On a battlefield of treachery, we must send you." _

Tears. Unrestrained tears. Sacrifice? If only they had known what Grand Master Yoda was truly asking of them before they had embarked on their journey. If only she had known what this mission would require her to sacrifice on the altar of duty to the Order.

_ "Yes, Master." "Of course, Master." _

_ The Jedi Master nodded his green head understanding. "Very well then. Your skills, the Order needs. A powerful Sith artifact, you two must find and destroy. The last one of it's kind, we believe it is. Find it, you must. And destroy it, before into the wrong hands, it falls in to." _

Weeks of dirt, grime, and regret pooled at her feet and darkened the water as she let the spray run through her knotted hair.

_ The Shadow and the Investigator exchanged looks. This was nothing new to the pair. How could this be any different than prior missions?_

_ As if answering their thoughts, the Master continued, "wiped from the Jedi Archives and records, temporarily, you will be. No one but yourselves and select members of the council must know of your quest. On record with the Republic, this cannot be. Of utmost sensitivity and importance, this is." _

They hadn't known that it was going to be their last mission. They had almost succeeded. But…everything had gotten so complicated so quickly.

_ A long pause followed the Master's statement. "But Master…why?" _

_ "Infiltrated the Republic, we believe the Sith may have. Afford, we cannot, for them to know of our suspicions or this Holocron. From this day forth, vanish, you must." _

_ "We will do what we must, Master." _

The grieving Knight stood in the refresher unit until the water ran cold.

* * *

"I will do what I must," Zave Vorun whispered brokenly. He pulled himself to his knees before the Dark Lord.

"If you succeed, the two of you will be granted freedom and pardon. You can disappear into whatever hole you find. If you fail…" Vader let his voice trail off, but let images of horrific visions play across Vorun's mind's eye.

The Knight flinched, his blue eyes misting over with pain. His voice came out raspy and choked, "yes, I understand."

If Darth Vader could smile beneath his helmet, he would have. Yes, everything was going according to plan.


	4. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3 **

The sun rose slowly over the Smuggler's Moon, casting a warm glow across the upper levels of the cityscape. The sunrise didn't reach the Jedi. The gift of the light was not given to the fugitives who hid on the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa. Noki'ido stood quietly and stretched, pulling his clothes from the small laundry unit in the room he shared with his longtime friend for the evening. He dressed silently and crept to the window of their small room, careful not to wake his slumbering companion. The Twi'lek repressed a heavy sigh. _Sunlight. I'd give _anything _for a glimpse of hope or some sunlight. _

_Fear. Anger. Betrayal. Heartache. Grief. _

He had sensed all of those emanating from his friend the night before. These were emotions unbecoming of a Jedi, but he had not found an opportune time to address the issue. Besides, could anyone of one of their small, bedraggled band be called a member of the Order any longer? The Temple had fallen and the staggering remnants of the once proud institution were sinking into darkness daily. What use was it to pick little arguments over unseemly emotion? They all had bigger battles to fight.

He shrugged into his armored vest and tucked the lightsaber into the inside pocket, stowing it safely against his ribs. He hefted the utility belt and fastened it, securing two blaster pistols to his hips_. So uncivilized…_

The Twi'lek looked down at Allyah, who finally had lapsed into a deep sleep. There was no reason to wake her just yet. He could get the repairs started and be back before she woke. Nevertheless, he left a note on a slip of flimsy next to the sleep couch.

_I'll be back. Have lunch ready. _

_Nokii _

With that, the healer walked to the door and palmed it shut soundlessly on the way out.

* * *

"I have a bad feeling about this, Master." Scout looked up at the silver haired Jedi. "Something is not right. I don't know what, but…"

The Jedi Master paused before speaking. In all of his experience with the young Padawan, her gift of precognition was not something to be taken lightly. "Keep your focus in the present, young one. Nothing seems amiss," Ry-Gaul chided her gently. "But it would be unwise to disregard this completely. What do you sense?"

The pair walked casually through a lower level market in Nar Shaddaa's commerce district. They conversed as if they were discussing what food to buy as opposed to potential impending danger.

"I'm not sure. I don't think it is Imperial. I just…" The Padawan's head hung dejectedly as she failed to grasp the vision that was just beyond her reach in the Force.

"It will come to us. Do not be discouraged. For now, we stay alert and get our supplies to the ship should the occasion arise to leave before planned."

* * *

Noki'ido looked nothing short of intimidating. Though those who called him a close friend could testify to his seemingly limitless compassion and gentle nature, but those who passed him on the sidewalk and alleyways of Nar Shaddaa shied away from the Twi'lek.

His well-muscled shoulders were broader than many males of his species. He was a Jedi. Though he was a healer, the war had made him a soldier. He was no stranger to carrying multiple weapons. Though he rarely used them, he knew what to do should the need arise.

That was why, when a large, muddy green arm swung in front of him, he was shocked. Honed reflexes allowed him to dodge the deliberately slung limb and he whirled to face his attacker—

To see a thin, dirty Ithorian who had his arms raised in a gesture of peace.

Noki'ido stared at the Ithorian appraisingly, every sense on high alert.

"_Peace, brother. We share the same home," _the Ithorian purred, projecting images of the Jedi Temple forward to the Twi'lek.

"Then you are alone?" Noki'ido dropped his voice to near a whisper and began to walk with the large Knight. He could not keep the suspicion out of his voice.

"_Yes, but I believe I am being tracked," _ the Ithorian grumbled. "_Let us find somewhere private to discuss this meeting. It is not by chance." _Noki'ido nodded. He could listen.

They dipped in and out of shops until they felt safe enough to slow their pace and talk as they walked to the hangar. "Who are you?" The healer narrowed his eyes with doubt.

"_I am Katwar. I have been fleeing a bounty hunter since the Order fell. My ship has been damaged beyond repair. I cannot ask you to help, but it is good to see a friendly face," _the Knight lowered his head and reached out a long-fingered to clasp the Twi'lek's forearm in a display of distinctly un-Jedi affection. The healer tensed. The Force whispered a warning in the back of his mind.

However, he considered the Ithorian's words. Noki'ido sensed no deception coming from the large being. In fact, he sensed nothing but exhaustion, pain, and regret, which was common among other members of the Order he had come across in the past year. But what of that warning through the Force?

His oath as a healer was the deciding factor. The day that he forsook his duty to provide for and care for those who were in need was the day that he lost a valuable part of himself.

After a long pause, Noki'ido spoke, "I will confer with another member of our party. We will help you if we can. Come with me." The two Jedi walked to hangar where their shuttle was docked.

* * *

Allyah woke slowly, her world in a haze. She dared to open one eye and look at the chrono. _Oh, Force…_

She swung her legs over the side of the sleep couch and picked up the flimsy her companion had left. He was late. Her empty stomach howled. _Very well then. I'll get our lunch. If he's not back by then, then I am allowed to be concerned_. She pushed the mounting worry in her heart aside. He was probably caught up working on the shuttle.

She picked up her clothes, which had been neatly folded at the foot of her sleep couch. _Typical Nokii_. Always kind. Always giving.

Khai slung her lightsaber across her back as she redressed in her normal weaponry. She tucked two blades, another memento from her homeworld, into her weathered boots. As a last touch to conceal her Sentinal-style double-bladed saber, she slung a large blaster over her ancient weapon, secured it around her back, and wandered out of the room in search of food to bring to her undoubtedly overworked friend.

* * *

"It's time to leave." Scout hurriedly concealed her lightsaber inside her jacket and holstered the lone blaster pistol she carried. She stuffed the rations they had picked up inside their rucksack.

Master Ry-Gaul drew himself out of his meditative state, stood, and stretched. The barest tingling of warning edged into the periphery of his senses. Yes. The time to leave was indeed approaching—and quickly. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and patted his lightsaber reassuringly, feeling the weight of the concealed weapon against his ribs.

He took a moment to reach out into the force, seeking their other companions. His young companion's precognitive skills were true. There was danger afoot. "Indeed, small one. Be prepared. Not all is well."

* * *

"I must say I was surprised to see another one of our kind here. I did not sense you until you made yourself known." Noki'ido said casually, finishing the last of his repairs. He tossed his hydrospanner into the toolbox and dusted his hands off on his pants.

When the tall Twi'lek received nothing but silence in reply, he slowly rose from his kneeling position. He tentatively reached out with the Force—

To sense three unfamiliar figures in the hangar.

He silently moved to the edge of the ramp and peered around the edge. His keen hearing could pick up angry voices. "Where are the other Jedi? I saw you with a Twi'lek. Where is he?"

The Ithorian's defeated moan responded as he was struck with the butt of a blaster rifle.

Jedi? They knew. Well, there was no reason to conceal his saber anymore. The Twi'lek Knight sought his companions out in the Force, sending a brief warning flare to them. He could sense they were close. If he could lure the potential assailants away from the shuttle…

He leapt from his hiding place, green saber flaring to life.

* * *

Allyah heard and felt the battle before she saw it. She heard the familiar hum of a saber blade and the sizzle of blaster bolts rebounding off the deadly weapon. Her quick walking turned into a full sprint. As she ran, she reached behind her and unclipped her lightsaber.

She rounded the corner to see Noki'ido engaged in combat against three bounty hunters. The smoldering corpse of an Ithorian lay at his feet.

* * *

Noki'ido sprang in front of the hunters just in time to see the Ithorian Jedi get gunned down. In a split second, he saw the dead Knight's weapon roll across the floor and he quickly called it to his hand with the Force, igniting its orange blade.

The bounty hunters immediately opened fire. Noki'ido moved in a graceful blur, sabers humming as he began to slowly maneuver away from the shuttle and toward the far hangar-bay door.

* * *

Scout and Ry-Gaul almost ran into Allyah as all three skidded to a halt, sprinting toward the hangar. "Go! I'll help him. Get the shuttle ready!"

The Master and Padawan raced toward the shuttle and up the ramp. "Leave it open!" The Master shouted as he flung himself into the pilot's chair.

Meanwhile, the Dathomiri Jedi ran to the edge of the catwalk, where her friend had managed to fight the bounty hunters off onto a lower level of the hangar. She wrapped the Force around herself and leapt, landing into a crouch behind Noki'ido, quickly standing to fight beside the other Jedi.

She ignited her yellow double blades and tapped into the Force, seeking to join her friend in the fight to act as one combatant. They began to drive the hunters back, deflecting blaster bolts and dodging submission darts.

The two Knights were a whirling blur of Soresu and power. There was no time to think; there was barely enough time to react. They had definitely outstayed their welcome on the Smuggler's Moon.

Noki'ido spun, throwing one of his blades forward as if it were a boomerang, then calling it back to his hand as it completed it's deadly arc. One bounty hunter fell with a cry. Two more to go.

An alarm sounded. The port authorities would arrive soon.

"We must go soon," Noki'ido observed breathlessly. Allyah nodded. "The shuttle—" Her words were interrupted by blaster fire raining down around them.

They spun, blades moving in tandem, as if one unstoppable warrior. Vaguely, they could hear the sound of their shuttle's engines drawing closer and closer, hovering near the exit of the hangar.

"NOW!" On the Twi'lek's signal, the Jedi simultaneously broke formation and launched into a Force-enhanced sprint toward the edge of the docking bay. They were so close. They could _sense_ the small shuttle looming just beyond the edge of the docking bay.

In Allyah's peripheral vision she could see Nar Shaddaa's authorities rushing into the hangar, loaded weapons preparing to fire. Blaster fire continued to fall relentlessly around the two retreating warriors. They dodged and moved, war-honed reflexes and the Force saving them from certain death.

As they neared the edge of the dock, they grasped hands and prepared to bound into empty space, reaching out with the Force to further their jump—

The grace of their leap was thrown off balance as a torpedo launched by them, hitting the bulkhead of the hangar bay. Shrapnel flew around them, embedding itself into any soft, pliant object in its way. A large piece of metal embedded itself in the flesh of Noki'ido's _lekku_, white-hot-stabbing pain stealing his breath as he struggled to keep his grasp on the Force and not to black out.

Their leap continued, but the force of the blast threw the pair sideways. Allyah intensified her grip on her friend's hand and reached out in desperation at the shuttle that began to disappear from her view.

A strong, weathered hand grasped her wrist, snatching her from falling into the depths of Nar Shaddaa. "HOLD ON!" Ry-Gaul yelled over the sound of weapons discharging.

The shuttle began to pick up speed, rising into open air in the cityscape. Ry-Gaul clung to Allyah. Allyah clung to Noki'ido. They spun through the air as the Jedi Master struggled to pull the two Jedi into the shuttle.

The healer could feel himself weakening dangerously as blood loss and agony nibbled at the corner of his vision. Numbness began to overtake his mind, spreading out to his extremities. He looked up at Allyah with bloodshot eyes.

"Your lives are not worth mine. Let go." He mouthed sadly and began to release his grip on Allyah's hand for the last time.


	5. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4**

_"Do not worry, love," he had said to her, a momentary slip of the tongue in the midst of desperation, "I have a way out of this." With that, he sprinted away, clipping his icy blue saber to his belt. Puzzled, but too distracted by the heat of battle that seemed to bearing down on the Jedi. She heard footsteps in the distance. _

_ As Allyah heard footsteps get closer, she ignited her lightsaber's blades. The Inquisitors were close. She could feel the oppressive chill of their presences in the Force._

_ A tall, lanky being rounded the corner, followed by a stockier figure, their faces obscured by their hooded cloaks. Both halted and regarded the lone Jedi with distaste. Two red blades sprang to life. Allyah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, banishing her rising apprehension into the calm currents of the Force. She was a Jedi. And if it was her fate, she would die like a Jedi. _

_ The two began to slowly advance, predators stalking their prey. _

_ The ground shook as a not-so-distant explosion rocked the hangar, followed by two similar rumbles that seemed to get closer. "Zave, what have you done?"_

* * *

"Your lives are not worth mine. Let go." Noki'ido's green eyes, bloodshot with pain, began to close and his hand went limp in hers as he released his grip.

"No..._please_, Nokii. _Please._" Allyah tightened her grip on the fingers that had begun to slip out of her hand. She felt Noki'ido's fingers crack under the force of her grip as his fingers inched centimeters further down in her hand. Khai grit her teeth with the effort, sweat pouring down her face. She could not let him go. _I can't lose you, too. _

"We need to get inside! We need to get out of the atmosphere!" Ry-Gaul's strained voice shouted over the wind. The shuttle continued to fly low as the Jedi struggled to climb inside. Cannon blasts and torpedoes began to heat the air around the shuttle.

Noki'ido smiled sadly up at his dearest friend as darkness began to nibble at the edges of his vision. "I'm sorry. I can't hold on—"

A proton torpedo glanced off the side of the shuttle's wing. A horrible jolt rocked the ship and the Twi'lek's grip slipped—

Time froze for one horrifying moment as Noki'ido, Knight of the Order, plummeted toward the planet's surface.

"NO!" Allyah's perceptions narrowed to the quickly disappearing figure of her closest living friend as the shuttle began to gain altitude.

With a voiced heave of effort, Ry-Gaul was able to swing the remaining Knight into the shuttle and close the ramp.

For a moment, all that could be heard in the silent quarters was the Jedi Master's heavy breathing and the enraged sobbing of the younger Knight. The Jedi Master dragged himself to his feet and jogged over to the copilot's chair to continue aiding Scout in their flight.

* * *

_"So, it is a deal. If I tell you where the Jedi are, you will allow the two of us to leave?" _

_"Sir, how can we be sure you are telling the truth? The consequences are grave for those who give false information to the Inquisitors. And we just aren't allowing people to leave the planet at this time-" _

_ "I am certain. If you allow us off planet, you will not be disappointed." Icy blue eyes held a confidence that could not be shaken. _

_ "Very well, Mr…"_

_ "My name isn't important. You just want to give me the security codes so my friends and I be on our way."_

_ The security officer's voice grew dull with forced compliance, the Force crashing over his taxed mind. "Yes, sir. Your name is not important. Here are the security codes. You can be on your way." _

_ Zave Vorun smiled and swapped datacards with the planetary security officer. Now, to cement their escape with a few well-placed charges for distraction..._

* * *

Investigation had been one of Zave Vorun's greatest strengths. He had a knack for finding that which did not seem to want to be found. That was why he had become a Jedi Sentinel. In his career, he had sought out Sith artifacts with Jedi Shadows. He had investigated political crimes, sought out murderers, and prevented planets from going to war because of his ability to find the truth.

However, he had never had to seek out another Jedi—especially one who had specialized in _vanishing_. Allyah Khai had been his partner in many missions for years because of her ability to find the darkness and then make it disappear.

Zave's heart ached at the thought of the trap he was going to have to lead Allyah into. But it was necessary. He had to deceive her in order to save her. He sighed heavily. _If I can find her. _

From his network of sources, it seemed as though she was last seen on Nar Shaddaa. Once he had figured that much out, he managed to hack into her shuttle's flight history as logged in with the authorites at the Smuggler's Moon. Her shuttle's flight plan wove a course through the Mid-Rim Territories and Outer Rim, arching slowly but surely toward…._Wild Space? _Zave rubbed a hand over weary, bloodshot eyes. It was worth a shot. He was running out of time.

With fingers slowed by lack of sleep and barely healed injuries, he typed up a short message, then began to piece together his signature encryption code that only she would know how to access with the intent of launching a desperate message out into Wild Space. He only hoped it would reach it's intended recipient.

* * *

_ Explosions continued to rock the buildings surrounding them. As Zave rushed up behind her, blue lightsaber prepared for combat, she turned. "What is that?" _

_ "A distraction." _

_ "Zave—" _

_ The Inquisitors rushed forward, their lightsabers merciless red blurs. Vorun leapt forward to intercept the bulkier of the two fighters. He batted away the Inquisitor's strikes with relative ease, keeping his opponent's strikes in the outer ring of his defenses. _

_ Allyah moved beneath her lanky opponent's long strikes, bending in a graceful arch backward as she evaded a swipe that would have cleaved her in half. She slid quickly to one knee and gave a kick at the other fighter's kneecap, snapping it backward to the point of locking, causing him to stagger backward. _

_ Zave slung his arm toward her opponent in a quick backhanded slap, throwing the tall figure over her as she knelt. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet. "We have to move. NOW." _

_ A fiery explosion engulfed the ceiling to their right and the building began to quake. The two Jedi sprinted toward the door at the end of the warehouse._

* * *

Ry-Gaul slowly stood as the shuttle entered hyperspace, the arrival of the dizzying blue swirl signifying freedom and the finality of their escape. Scout sat rigidly next to him, staring off into nothing. "He's gone."

The Jedi Master let out a long, heavy breath. "Yes, young one. He is."

The Force was heavy, stifling, weighed down with guilt and sorrow. "D-Did I leave him? I just knew we had to get out… The Force….He fell."

Silence. Uncertainty drew out the tension between the two Jedi. Ry-Gaul thought for a long moment. "No…you did what you had to do. You did the right thing."

* * *

_They raced across the warehouse, the fires of the hells raining down around them. "Isn't this a bit of an overkill?" She yelled, trying to be heard over the blasts that seemed to explode out of nowhere. _

_ "They won't follow us," Zave yelled. "I gave them someone else to chase." _

_ Her heart sank as they ran. She stopped. "What do you mean?" _

_ Zave tugged at her hand, trying to pull her along with him. "It won't hurt anyone. I gave them the coordinates of the other—" _

_ "You what?"_

_ "—hangar. The others will be gone before the authorities arrive, but I had to give them something to pay for our security clearance! The others have the codes, too!" _

_ "You sold them our friends?" There was no way this was possible. "How does that make sense?" _

_ "Allyah, there isn't time. I did what I had to do. Just come with me." His voice was pleading, desperate. _

_ "No, we have to warn them. We can't just leave them. We are _Jedi_, for Force sake. We don't sell each other out." Her reprimand cut deeper than a saber blade. _

_ "You're right. Fine. Go. I'll distract them. If I'm not there soon enough, leave," he clenched his jaw, mind racing to calculate the timing they would need to pull this maneuver off. _

_ The ceiling creaked and squealed as fire continued to engulf it. Allyah grabbed his arm before they parted. "Wait." She kissed him. "May the Force be with you." _

_ "And with you." _

_ They ran in opposite directions._

* * *

"Knight Khai?" A gentle, almost paternal voice cut through the haze.

_This can't be happening. _

"Young one, are you injured?" A calloused, gentle hand rested on her shoulder.

Heartache blossomed into helpless anger, bubbling up in her throat. She managed to choke the words out past the hopelessness, "We have to go back."

"We are already in hyperspace, destined for Acherin. It was too late. He is one with the Force now—"

The mention of her beloved, disloyal Force jerked her into motion. Allyah sprang to her feet, her lithe form reduced to taut and rigid lines. "Don't. Just don't. Don't spit those _banalities_ at me right now."

"Banalities? You would reduce the Code we stand on to meaningless platitudes?" The Jedi Master remained firm, undeterred by the raw ache emanating from the Knight before him. "Despite our circumstances, Allyah, we are servants of the Force. Whether you believe it or not, the Light is drawn to you—"

"Stop. _Please_." Her voice was as jagged and broken as her heart and soul. "Just stop." Allyah's heart clenched at the thought of the Force. The Force had always been her guide and she had always been its servant—or at least she thought she had been. She had been aligned with the Light. But had the Light ever been truly aligned with the Jedi? The Force seemed cruel in light of recent events—a treacherous, adulterous lover, pitilessly using its servants and promising nothing in return.

Ry-Gaul studied Khai for a few long moments, pity gleaming subtly in his wise eyes. After a long silence, he spoke again. "Scout and I will meditate. You are more than welcome to join us."

As the door to the cockpit hissed shut behind the Jedi Master, Allyah slowly slid down the wall to the floor.

* * *

"Well?" The deep voice managed to sound equally impatient and threatening.

"I think she will get the message soon," Zave hung his head, reminded of the sinister undertones of this mission as the Dark Lord of the Sith loomed menacingly in front of him.

"And then?" Darth Vader could not leave any room for error.

"I—we will meet her and go to the Holocron." This had to be worth it. If it would buy their pardon, it would be worth it. They could go live in peace and—

"Tell me as soon as she contacts you."

Zave nodded.

As the Sith Lord left the young Jedi alone in his dark cell, Zave Vorun dropped his head to his hands and fought back tears. _I am a Jedi. Jedi do not cry like children_.

But the tears fell nevertheless as he was left alone to his fears and doubts.


	6. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5**

_Somov Rit—Onderon—Dxun—Tython—Ambria—_

_ Red beams of light zigzagged a small maze through the holographic starmap in the cabin of their small, Corellian Star Shuttle. Each line connected star systems to each other with small tabs of information and photos below highlighted worlds. _

_ The red lines plotted the course of an ancient Sith's life who had lived centuries before the map was ever created. The red lines ideally would eventually lead them to where the Sith Holocron was hidden. _

_ "We're missing something." Zave ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair as he flipped through an ancient Jedi's personal records. "We've managed to pinpoint the Sith's homeworld, as well as locations of different battles they fought. That's not difficult. There was a considerable body count left in their wake. But there are some large gaps." _

_ Silence. Allyah walked over to the holographic image of Somov Rit midway across the room. She waved a hand and a large portion of data appeared. "Well, we start from the beginning—"_

_ "Again—"_

_ "I'll be brief," she shot a warning look at her partner. "It was born—"_

_ "It?" _

_ A derisive snort. "Fine. _She _was born on Somov Rit. It was there that she killed two Jedi and met her master. From there, she made her way to Onderon, to meet him there. By then, she'd proved itself worthy to be a Sith apprentice. A large portion of her early training was on Ambria—"_

_ "Which we may need to revisit."_

_ "She tried to wreak various havoc on the Republic, assassination attempts, infiltration, etcetera. Infiltrated the Jedi Temple…" Both Jedi shuddered. "Fled the temple after being discovered by a relative, took him with her to Tython, where she and her Master defeated the Jedi who pursued them. Her master nearly died, but he was saved. She drove her relative insane with the Dark Side…"_

_ "These details don't seem relevant," Zave stated bluntly as Allyah trailed off. "Where's the source of her power? What had sentimental value? Do Sith even care about sentimental value?"_

_ "Well, Ambria is a repeatedly visited planet." She strode over and opened the desolate planet's file. _

_ "I'd prefer not to return there. It's just….dark." _

_ "We'll do what we must, Zave. If it's there and we just missed it because we're afraid of the dark, that'd be somewhat pathetic." _

_ "Fair enough. I'm sorry to interrupt your narration. Please proceed, my lady," the glint in his blue eyes toed the line between amusement and flirtation as the tense moment passed. _

_ "After a large confrontation on Ambria, they disappeared to lick their wounds. There wasn't anything in the Archives after that. They just dropped off the grid until they reappeared on Ambria again, where she managed to kill her Master. Even then, that mention is brief. They just…vanished."_

* * *

Two of the remaining Jedi of the Order drifted, basking in the soothing balm of the Force. The elder guided the younger, sheltering her and showing her that truly—_There is no death, there is the Force. _

Yes, there were tears, there was heartache, there was loss—but there was forever and always would be the brilliance of the Force, stretching across space and time, binding together that which was, and is and is to come.

A tear dropped to the steely deck, followed by another."Master?" Hesitance. Scout swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

"Yes, young one?"

"W-What will we do now?"

"We will continue on our course to Acherin." What else was there to do?

"No, sir, I mean what will the _Jedi_ do now? It doesn't look like there is anywhere in the galaxy for us to be…well…_us._"

The Jedi Master could almost _hear _the Padawan's heart breaking as she voiced her doubts. He had to admit, even his own heart, sheltered and bound within the Force, still trembled with the weight of his secret misgivings when the night seemed to grow too dark to bear. "We will always serve the Force."

Scout heard what he did _not _say. Servants of the Force they may be, but it was quite possible that the Jedi Order was no more. More tears fell as she bowed her forehead to the deck, reaching out for the cosmic power that bound all living beings together for the comfort that she desperately needed. She would cling to the Force as her comfort, her shelter, and her guide. After all, she was a Jedi, first, foremost, and always no matter what the rest of the galaxy said.

On the other side of the cockpit door, the other member of their bedraggled party quaked, alone, feeling forsaken by the very Force that she had served.

Ragged breathing cut through the silence of the small cabin where Allyah Khai laid, shuddering with shock. She curled her knees tightly to her chest. It was all too much too quickly—

She tentatively reached out to the Force, her senses trembling. _Please. Don't abandon me—don't abandon us. _What purpose did the Jedi have if not to serve the Force—to protect the Republic?

The mission. The Order. The war. The temple massacre. Zave. Noki'ido.

_There is no death. There is the Force_. The Jedi Code began to fade into a series of meaningless platitudes in her mind. The Code that was once a source of stalwart comfort and a reminder of deeply rooted truth seemed to mock the young Jedi as her life began to crumble around her. What good was the Jedi Code when there was no Jedi Order to uphold it? Without the Jedi—the flesh, blood, heart, and saber crystal—the Order was simply as dead as the many members that had fallen in Clone War and in the brutal slaughter afterward.

The young Sentinel dropped her head against the cold deck and wept, tears of rage and sorrow dropping unchecked from her eyes. The Force itself twisted with heartache, shuddered with grief. She reached out as if drowning, desperate, grasping, gasping for the sweet life only the Force could provide.

It was truly too much. The cold darkness of space seemed to close in around her.

* * *

_"We used to be called the 'Terror of Katarn Clan.' What changed? It was you, Nokii, and me. The three of us against the galaxy." _

_ "Life changed. Somehow it became just 'you and me.' But we're Jedi. There can't be an 'us.'" Her voice was thick with barely hidden emotion. _

_ "I know," frustration knit the Padawan's brow. Blue eyes closed as he sought the peace of the Force. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity." _

_"When we're Knights, after we've set out to do all that we've sought to do, we can choose for ourselves. After we've fulfilled our duty—"Her dark eyes flashed with a desperate, secret hope. "One day, this could happen." She reached up and put a hand to his chest, feeling his heart hammering beneath her fingers. "One day, when it is our choice to make, there could be an 'us.' But first and foremost…we are Jedi." _

_ His breath stopped in his chest. Their clandestine desires for the future and what truly had to happen could never intersect in reality. Indecision and heartache made his head spin for a brief moment, but that was quickly halted by her lips against his. After a moment, he spoke, "Yes. Perhaps one day, everything we dream will come true."_

* * *

Zave wracked his taxed brain for the answers to the questions that seemed to keep him awake at all moments. He had been trained as an Investigator. He had been trained to believe that more answers meant more control of a situation.

_Why did Vader want the Holocron? Why was this to be kept a secret? Why was Vader so desperate to have it so quickly? _

He tilted his head back until it rested against the wall of his small cell. It had been days since he'd slept and even longer than that since he'd last meditated. The cloying pressure of the Dark Side kept him from being able to reach for even the smallest tendrils of peace that the Force could provide.

So, he struggled to find the answers in the recesses of his memory under the force of his own willpower. Surely the answers he sought were there somewhere.

* * *

_"Let's review," Zave paced through their cabin for what seemed like the millionth time. Allyah groaned, but didn't argue further. "She was originally discovered to be force sensitive by the Jedi…but somehow, she was picked up by a Sith Lord." _

_ He paused and walked over to the bunk where Allyah was laying. He nudged her feet. "Something I'm saying—"_

_ "Again—" Allyah passed a hand roughly over her eyes, rubbing them in an attempt to stay awake. How long had they been reviewing this information? The hours seemed endless, but they still pressed onward in the hopes that they could find the missing link to where this Holocron had gone. _

_ "Could be important. I need your help. _ I'm_ usually the impatient one." When he received a more alert, sarcastic smile in response, he continued. "Okay, throughout her career, she learned from her Master. At one point, he almost died, but she managed to find someone to heal him because she felt she had more to learn. When she finally felt that she had surpassed him, she went to murder her Master." _

_ "How did she kill him?" _

_ "It's somewhat vague, but I think she used some sort of Sith sorcery. She was clearly no match for her Master in strength or hand-to-hand combat. She knew she couldn't beat him, so she had to find a way to fight dirty, so to speak." Zave pulled open the Ambria file again, squinting as he flipped through the floating glowing words. "She used his own weakness against him. I don't think the Master knew much about sorcery…at least not enough to protect him against her onslaught."_

* * *

"There it is," Ry-Gaul pointed out of the viewport at the asteroid belt that surrounded Acherin. Scout strained her eyes to see the supposed "base" that the Jedi Master had referred to earlier.

"I don't see it, Master."

"That is the beauty of it, young one. That is why we can come. It is hidden." With deft fingers, he maneuvered the shuttle through the asteroid field to where he sensed a bright corner in the Force. The Master allowed a smile to grace his aged features as he piloted them toward temporary safety.

The G-type shuttle landed in a small, bare hangar. A few starfighters were the only other occupants of the dock. A brown haired human male came to greet them as Ry-Gaul and Scout strode down the ramp of the shuttle.

"Master Ry-Gaul, I am so glad to see you…alive."

"Thank you. This is Padawan Enwandung-Esterhazy. Scout, this is Ferus Olin. We lost a companion on Nar Shaddaa….and have another companion still on the shuttle. She might need medical attention." Ry-Gaul's voice dropped to a sorrowful whisper. "I sense—well, the Force is disturbed."

The Jedi turned to regard the shuttle with sadness. Any loss of life was tragic. The loss of a member of the Order, no matter how often it happened, was still painful.

"I will show you to where you can rest. I'll send someone to check on your other companion."

* * *

Allyah looked up to see blue-gray eyes studying her intently. "You have to let him go," the bearded Jedi murmured.

The young Knight pierced the newcomer with an icy stare that thawed as quickly as it had arrived. Numbness overtook the young Knight's heart. "Of course." _There is no emotion, there is peace._ Though the Code seemed like a vague remnant of a dead religion in her mind, her heart still belonged to the Force. She moved to stand. Her world spun and she braced herself with a shaky hand against the wall.

Master Obi-Wan Kenobi watched the Dathomiri Knight closely as she crouched and wavered in an attempt to stand. Where had the determined, compassionate, curious Knight that he had met in the twilight of the Clone Wars gone? It seemed that all that was left of the Knight he met less than a year before was the broken, bleeding husk left before him. Fresh blood seeped through her clothing as dozens of small cuts and abrasions that had been left untreated all started to clamor for her attention.

"I'm alright," she whispered. "Just give me a minute." In truth, she felt far from "alright." Her head swam and her heart ached. But she was a Jedi. _There is no passion, there is serenity. _She slowly stood and took a deep breath. _There is no death, there is the Force_.

Kenobi could sense the despair that surrounded the Knight. It chilled the air around her, seeping toward him like a creeping winter fog. He restrained himself from the gentle reprimand that would have at one time been appropriate for such emotion. Had they been at the Temple and the Order still in tact, it would have been prudent to call attention to that such hopelessness was unbecoming of a Jedi. _But everything has changed. Desolation is everywhere_. The war had changed how Jedi mourned. Order 66 had all but destroyed the Jedi. The famed Jedi stoicism seemed irrational after all the recent tragedy. He resolved to address it later should the occasion arise.

The former Jedi General reached out a hand to steady the other Jedi, but the aid was ignored.

Allyah followed the Jedi Master down the ramp and into the Jedi Asteroid base. Before she could make it to a room to tend her wounds, the man who had welcomed their party stopped her.

"Allyah Khai? Ferus Olin. There's a message that's been sent out over a broad spectrum to the comm unit."

"So?"

"It's encrypted. The only thing I can figure out is that it is addressed to you." Olin said, then led her down a long hallway to the communication center.

Allyah sat down at the comm unit. Shock quickened her heartbeat as she recognized the telltale encryption of….

_It can't be_.

"Where did it come from?" She rasped, mind racing.

"I can't trace it. I was hoping _you _could tell me. It was just broadcasted throughout the region, so there was no particular destination." Olin eyed her suspiciously, brown eyes narrowing. "The encryption is complicated. I haven't been able to crack the code."

She turned to the keypad, her very senses trembling as she frantically pounded out the code that she just _knew_ had to unlock the message. She held her breath as the message scrolled across the screen.

_ I'm alive. They know what we were looking for. -Z_


	7. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6**

"Has she spoken with you about her plans?"

A heavy breath escaped his lips. The silver haired Master ran a hand through his thick hair. "No. She remains obstinately silent about the meaning of that message and where she is going."

The Force rippled with unbecoming discontentment and a vague undercurrent of frustration. Both Masters suppressed sighs.

"We could detain her, but that could also be counterproductive. This could be the will of the Force." The former General massaged his forehead, smoothing away lines the years and stress had carved on his brow. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

Contemplative silence stretched out between the two Masters. The Force eddied and shifted, promising a solution on the near horizon. After a few moments of thoughtful quiet, a small, roguish smile quirked the corners of Ry-Gaul's lips upward. "I have a plan."

* * *

Throughout a Jedi's life, even in their youngest years in the crèche, they were taught that it that _only a fool rushes to meet trouble. _The repetition of phrases such as _Adventure, Motion, a Jedi craves not these things_ kept many generations of Knights and Masters from becoming unsettled even in dire situations. A true Jedi was trained from birth to stay centered, an anchor in the midst of torrential chaos. Even as the galaxy heaved and burned around them, a Jedi's heart was ultimately unshakeable within the cool currents of the Force.

_Patience. Peace. Balance. A solution will present itself…_

Those notions had become a thing of the past for Knight Allyah Khai. Her pounding heart beat a war-drum's cry of urgency, spurring her onward toward Ruusan.

She inspected the last of her minor wounds, pulling the bacta patches off those that were healed and reinforcing the seal of the patches that needed to remain. Allyah downed the remains of the cup of water sitting on the counter and began to finish dressing—

Just in time for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ry-Gaul to walk in the door.

"_Kriffin' fierfek! _Don't you knock?" She hastily pulled her shirt over her head, then froze as her eyes leveled on the Jedi Master standing in her doorway. "I-I'm sorry, Masters."

Kenobi's brows rose at the language, but he did not comment. Ry-Gaul could have smiled at the impulsive cursing if the situation itself was not so pressing. Instead, he cut to the chase, "Ferus told me about the message you received. You are leaving." It was not a question.

"Yes," she struggled not to fidget under the two Jedi Masters' intense, scrutinizing stares.

"I must implore you, Knight Khai. Do not rush into danger," Obi-Wan said. "There are so few of us left in this galaxy. Do not go racing into a situation that would get you killed."

Allyah shook her head and pulled the armored vest that once belonged to Noki'ido on over her tunic. "I appreciate your concern, but I have no intentions of dying any time soon, Master Kenobi."

"From a certain point of view it looks as though that is what you are doing—"

Something in Allyah broke as the reprimand began. Allyah turned, eyes blazing with defiance as her temper flared. "Master Kenobi, with all due respect, you don't know what my duties are. You don't know what has happened and you have _no idea _why I am leaving. So please, get out of my way—"

It was the softspoken Ry-Gaul that interjected into her angry tirade. "I know that you are grieving, understandably so, and that could impair your judgment. I know that betrayal and heartbreak are hot enough to melt durasteel and they radiate off of you. I know this as an absolute truth: dashing off on a suicide mission is not going to heal you." Blue-gray eyes turned cold as ice and pinned Allyah's heart to her spine.

Her mouth gaped open as she fought to find the words to respond to the Jedi Master.

The Negotiator nodded, gentling his tone as he continued where the other Master left off. "You think I know nothing about you, which is true from a certain point of view. But I know that you are a member of the Jedi Order. I know that you are a Shadow. I know, because of my rank on the Council and our first conversation, albeit brief, that you have been on an extended, classified assignment." Kenobi heard her soft intake of breath. He hated what he had to do, but if it was a chance at keeping yet another Jedi from going to their doom, it was worth a shot. "I know that you had a partner, who is clearly no longer with you. Therefore, he is probably dead or worse. I am truly sorry….but I know that because of those truths, you are in no condition to be chasing some kind of suspiciously encrypted message across the galaxy with no aid."

Allyah fought the involuntary trembling of her knees. Was she that easy to read? Had she lost her edge that quickly? She shook her head slowly. "Masters, I know what you are trying to do, but I'm sorry. I can't. There is more at stake here than you realize."

They were right on so many levels…but that did not change what she had to do. She shook her head with a quick finality. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave." She strode out of the room, down the hall to the G-type light shuttle, and into the cockpit to prepare to leave.

The Jedi Masters stood in vaguely stunned silence for a moment before turning and regarding one another solemnly.

It was Kenobi that broke the quiet first. "I assume that you put a homing beacon on her shuttle."

Master Ry-Gaul allowed himself a small, knowing smile . "We are Jedi, Master Kenobi. We are so few that it is imperative that we protect our own."

* * *

Zave jerked awake as his comm unit's screen became bright with text as an encrypted message blasted through the communications of the Inner Rim and Core worlds. He quickly keyed in the encryption code. One message lit his heart on fire with both hope and despair. It had worked.

A string of coordinates lit up the display screen.

Unconsciously, a small drifted across the Jedi's haggard features. _Allyah…always trying to call the shots_. He suggested that they go one way, she would always seek to find a way to perfect his plan or to make it more efficient. His pleasant, brief reverie was interrupted just as quickly as it started.

The door to his cell slid open and a familiar, imposing figure darkened the doorway. "She has made contact."

"Yes."

"Where will she meet you?"

Zave released a heavy sigh, hesitating. There it was. The point of no return. Was this worth it? Could this truly buy their freedom? It had to. They had no other choice besides a painful death. Sooner or later, the Empire would find all of the Jedi. He nodded. "She has sent the coordinates. I believe it is Ruusan."

"We will leave within the hour." He roughly hauled Zave to his feet with a mechanical arm. Vorun staggered, his legs stiff from lack of use. He forced his feet to cooperate, shaking his head to clear his brain, which was reeling from the sudden turn of events.

He followed Vader down the corridor to his destiny.

* * *

_Allyah crept quietly into the hangar and into the Corellian Star Shuttle that she shared with her partner while they were traveling. She had maintained this nightly ritual for week prior and had no intention of stopping. _

_ Order 66 and the ensuing Purge had all but annihilated the entire Jedi Order. All former missions and mandates had been abandoned and replaced by the one goal of survival. She and Zave had bounced from world to world until they had finally arrived at his homeworld of Corellia. _

_ It was close to Coruscant-too close for Allyah's taste- but on Corellia they had connections. Zave's family, though they rarely spent time with their Jedi son, had enough governmental pull to harbor them until they figured out somewhere else to go. _

_ Yet still, despite all of the running, something kept pulling Allyah back to their last mission that Grand Master Yoda had given them. She continued to pour over datacards, researching public documents and hacking into Imperial records. She had never kept secrets from Zave, but her instincts urged her to keep quiet about her nightly activites. _

_ One night, near sunrise, her research paid off. The gap in the timeline was filled at last… The pieces of the puzzle simply clicked in her mind. She knew where her quarry was hidden. They had missed one simple, minute detail…the beginning. Their journey would end at the beginning of their nameless Sith's life. Her homeworld—Ruusan. _

_ That morning, Imperial forces landed on the planet after noticing a breach in their archival security. Not even Zave's network of family on Corellia could protect them. The fugitive Jedi were told that they had to find a way to leave the planet by nightfall._

* * *

Allyah Khai looked down at the swirling green, orange, and blue that was the planet of Ruusan. The planet swam with life in the shuttle's viewport, the weighty call of destiny beckoning the Jedi forward. The young Knight resisted the urge to tap her foot anxiously as she prepared to land.

Landing meant that she was one step closer to seeing _him_. She had barely had enough time to mourn his "death" before she had received the cryptic message proclaiming his life.

Allyah took a deep breath, letting the Force flow through her, inhaling its unquenchable peace and exhaling her apprehension. She was a Jedi. Impatience was unbecoming of her rank and experience in the Order. However, one deep breath would not calm her frayed nerves. A cold, precognitive fog had fallen over the Jedi's mind. She shook her head, struggling to be rid of the feeling that somehow, everything was about to fall apart.

Once the shuttle touched down on a rocky outcropping outside of one of the planet's spaceports, Allyah sank to her knees and lowered her forehead to the cold, hard deck and sought her elusive center of peace in the Force.

* * *

Zave swallowed hard against the knot in his throat as he looked down at the glowing planet where his beloved undoubtedly had landed hours before. A physical ache began to form in his gut as the gravity of the situation that they were potentially walking into hit him at full force. The Investigator's mind raced at all of the potential outcomes of the scenario.

They could find the Holocron, deliver it, and Lord Vader could _actually_ hold to his word and allow them a peaceful existence free from all Imperial harassment…

They could find the Holocron and Allyah would insist on destroying it, which could complicate things a bit…

They could find the Holocron and potentially be killed by the sheer magnitude of darkness that emanated from it…

They could find the Holocron, deliver it, and Lord Vader could kill them on sight to tie up any loose ends…

Vorun visibly shuddered. All but one of the outcomes that his overtaxed mind formulated ended in their doom. Regardless, it was worth it. It had to be worth it. He threw a defiant stare the hallway where the Sith Lord stood. Though the Jedi could not see him, he could sense him. The Dark Side seeped out from him and filled the ship's cabin like a noxious gas.

The Jedi bowed his head, clenching his fists as he vowed to himself that no matter the outcome, even if all of their hopes and dreams were shattered, he would see to it that the woman he loved would live to see another day.

"I am ready." Zave opened his eyes as he felt the Dark Lord's approach in the Force. He stood and strode to the escape pod, which would take him to the planet's surface, walking as though he were a condemned man marching to the firing squad.

* * *

Jedi Master Ry-Gaul rechecked the coordinates the small homing beacon streamed across the console of his borrowed ship. "Ruusan." Why would his rogue friend be destined for Ruusan of all places? It was all but abandoned by Republic and Imperial forces. Unless…

"The hyperdrive is ready, Master." Scout's voice tugged him from his introspection.

"Very well then. We are ready."

* * *

_"I hate this planet." _

_ "A Jedi shall not know hate." _

_ A sarcastic laugh cut through the crimson glowing darkness. "Not true. You hate it, too." _

_ . "Touche." A heavy sigh and a long shudder, followed by a quiet admission. "It's dark here." _

_ Zave moved closer to Allyah, poking at the dying embers of their campfire. "Morning will come soon enough." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. _

_ "That won't help. You know what I meant." _

_ "We might be done here soon," he offered weakly. "Our lives won't revolve around finding the Holocron forever." _

_ "You're right. We could die before we find it." A mirthless smirk graced Allyah's lips. _

_ "We'll have none of that talk. Come here," Zave opened his arms, hugging her fiercely. "We have a lot more to do before either of us die." _


	8. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7**

The stars whirled in a dizzying mass as Zave's escape pod plummeted toward Ruusan. Fire engulfed the sphere as it burst through the planet's atmosphere. Though the outside of the vessel burned with chaos, the man on the inside was stone-faced.

The fear that had sank into the pit of Vorun's stomach months before had solidified to a tightly coiled trap, ready to unleash into anger at any moment should Vader betray them. Zave was resolute. He had his terms of victory in mind and was unwavering in the knowledge that he would do whatever it took to succeed.

His primary goal was that he and Allyah escape to live a long and quiet life.

His secondary goal, should that fail, was that he manage to at least allow _her_ to live. Zave bowed his head, setting his jaw in a determined line and begged the Force to allow him one last success in what was likely to be his final mission.

The escape pod slammed into unforgiving soil. Quickly and deliberately, Zave tore off his restraints and threw the hatch open with swift flick of the Force. He leapt from the smoking hulk and turned toward the lone shuttle just outside the spaceport in the distance.

* * *

Allyah rose from her meditative posture, lifting her lightsaber and strapping it to her back. She paused, her mind racing despite the peace the Force provided. He was close. She could feel it.

She could also feel the creeping chill and ache of the Sith Holocron that was hidden on the planet's surface.

Shaking her head, Allyah hefted a belt of various detonators and charges over her head and allowed them to drape in a deadly sash across her chest. Sith artifacts were not something to be trifled with. That was the primary objective. Zave's miraculous resurrection was something to be rejoiced over, not consumed by.

Even as she told herself that, her heart pounded with anticipation of seeing him. Khai strode down the ramp of her shuttle to see a familiar figure walking on the horizon. She didn't need to reach out far to know who it was. Allyah broke into a decidedly un-Jedi sprint.

The force at which they collided rattled their teeth and mussed their tunics. _Tears_. Laughing, weeping tears streamed down the woman's face as she clung to her resurrected lover. Vorun clung to her ferociously, his fingers aching with the tenacity with which he gripped. For a moment, they were not Jedi, they were not lifelong peacekeepers or warriors or ambassadors or Sentinels. They were simply that which they were created to be before they gave over their lives to the Order—luminous beings trapped in crude matter, bound by love and forbidden attachment.

_There is no death. There is the Force, there is boundless compassion and redemption and resurrection and—_

In that instant, everything made sense to Zave Vorun. The pain and torment at the hands of the Sith Lord became worth it as he breathed in her scent. The peril they were undoubtedly battle would be well worth it when they could flee the planet together.

"You were dead," a murmur escaped from her lips, muffled by his chest and tunic.

He managed a shaky laugh. "As if that could stop me."

They finally disengaged from their tangled, desperate embrace. Allyah wiped hastily at the tears that continued to leak from her eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath. "It's close."

Zave sobered. "We need to find it quickly."

The two Jedi began to hike toward the increasing, creeping chill that began to set their blood ablaze with every step that they took.

* * *

_Splat. Splat. Splat. Slosh. _

_ "My Master is going to kill me," she giggled, tossing a sopping, soapy wet robe at the other Padawan. _

_ "_Your _Master? I think it's safe to say that we are both dead. But…you should probably be noble and own up to your responsibility in this debacle," the blonde male responded with mock sincerity. "It was, after all, your idea to put a soap bomb in Nokii's socks—"_

_ "How was I supposed to know that he was going to drop them into a fountain? He is normally wearing them!"_

_ "Fine, fine," he smoothed over, smiling ear to ear as he grasped her hand, entwining their fingers. "We'll both take the blame, if you insist—"_

_ A deep grunt caught their attention and they stopped dead in their tracks. The Dathomiri Padawan turned to face the waiting glare of her Master. Both apprentices' hands dropped to their sides. _

_ After a brief, uncomfortable silence, the young man's voice pierced the air. "This was my fault, Master." He laid his pride, his reputation down, willingly taking the punishment they both deserved. He knew in that moment that he would do anything to protect her. _

_ Anything._

* * *

Darth Vader watched the small beacon on his screen's movement. That small blip on the planet's radar represented the key to finding the Holocron. He tracked the Jedi's every move from his starship in orbit and would descend at the right moment to claim his prize.

The faint drone of the Jedi's conversation faded into the background as the Sith mulled over his options of whether to allow the Jedi to live or to slay them on the spot. It seemed dishonest to alter the deal he had struck with Vorun…

The Dark Lord almost shook his head with the ludicrousness of the flash of guilt that rose within him. That part of him had died the day that Vader had been born. Darth Vader was not simply a survivor. He was a conqueror.

He would do what he must.

The Sith Lord piloted the ship toward the planet's surface.

* * *

_Chest heaving, she sprinted through fiery hallways and leapt over collapsed walls. The Force gave her speed, the violent explosions that ripped through the hangar around her rippled through its' usually calm currents. _

_ She skidded to a halt in front of the hallway that led to Noki'ido's hangar. In the distance, the scream of starfighters soaring over the port began to draw nearer. "Nokii?" She yelled, jogging toward the docking bay. _

_ A split-second warning. The shock waves of the soon-to-be explosion reverberated through her chest, quickening her heartbeat. An urgent tremble of danger in the Force. The actual ensuing explosion sent shockwaves through the hangar, flinging her forward. Khai tucked and rolled, but was tossed hard against the hangar's wall. _

_ Then, gentle hands, tugging at her shoulders. "We have to go." Her dark eyes focused blearily on green skin, caked with ash and blood. _

_ The Twi'lek lifted her into his arms and jogged to a rickety shuttle as the port continued to go up in flames. _

_ Zave had overdone it. She slipped over the edge of perception into blissful unconsciousness._

* * *

Their blood boiled as they drew nearer to the Sith Holocron. It seemed to pound within their veins, blurring the edges of their vision. They knew they were close. Clouds blurred the sun overhead, stealing what little light was left in the day.

"I didn't want to leave you," she professed quietly as the two Jedi hiked through the temperate world's forest. The words took extreme effort, but they had to be said. "When I woke up, I was on Nokii's shuttle. I thought you were dead. I was going to go back and try to find you—to make sure—"

"All is forgiven," Zave's replied. He pressed on, fearing the answer to his next question. "Where is Nokii?"

Silence, then a stoic answer, "He is dead."

_Oh_. Vorun's heart twisted. So much death.

The oppressive chill of the Dark Side intensified as sadness warped the Force between the two Jedi. They both visibly shuddered and continued walking. The Dark Side seemed to ooze an oily residue which grew stronger the farther they walked.

Finally, their trek was halted as they came to the mouth of a small cave.

They both released a deep breath that neither were aware that they had been holding. "I'll go in," they blurted simultaneously.

Zave protested. "We don't know what else could be in there—"

"Are you questioning safety?" Allyah scoffed. "I'm a _Jedi_, Zave. I was born for this…besides, you won't fit."

Vorun knelt and surveyed the opening. He moved to see if he could find a way to maneuver his broad shoulders through the cave's mouth. _Not a chance_. He sighed, "Fine. But I'm tying a rope around you—"

Allyah began to protest, but a withering look from the other Jedi killed her argument before it began.

"I am not willing to lose you _again_," he declared softly as he pulled a fibra-rope off of her utility belt. Allyah took the rope wordlessly and looped it around her waist. She took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to clear it of the pounding that seemed to more insistent as she stepped toward the cave.

_There is no chaos, there is harmony_. Without another look back, the young Knight climbed head first into the darkness.


	9. Chapter 8

**Ch. 8**

Everything ached. She army crawled on her hands and knees through the ever-tightening cave. The farther Allyah crawled downward into the twisting caverns, the harder it became to function. Her blood seemed to turn to sludge in her veins and her bones to chalk. It seemed as though the Force itself opposed her. Even the small headlamp that she wore struggled to pierce the overwhelming darkness.

Still, she pressed on.

Her elbows and knees scraped against soft, moist earth and the occasional jagged rock. For a fleeting moment, as she wriggled onward, she was back in the crèche, playing a game of hide-and-seek.

_All was dark in the crevice she had found in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, the small wedge of rocks behind the shortest waterfall, the hiding spot that only she knew about. She suppressed a childish giggle as she felt the distinctly glowing presence of Noki'ido brush by, so close, but so far away from her nook._

_Nokii would _never _find her here. Here, she was one with the soft dirt, the leaves, the bubbling water—so close to That which was Surrounding and Binding and Penetrating them all in the great scheme of the void and vastness of stars and time that she never wanted to leave, to rejoin the realm of flesh and blood and skinned knees—_

The brief glimpse of long-perished innocence, of the aching memory of safety, of the fading Light, of _home_, made her breath freeze in her chest. An unbidden, childlike yearning for rescue fluttered briefly in her chest. She crushed it ruthlessly under the heel of hopeless discipline borne of months of fleeing in the shadows.

And then she was back in the cave, searching through the Dark.

Whispers of destruction and gloom seemed to reverberate off the narrow cavern walls. _Fear. Anger. Hatred. _Allyah shook her head and tapped her headlamp to make sure it was still in working order. Were the shadows getting thicker?

Every so often she could feel a quick, reassuring tug on the rope secured around her waist. Images from her worst nightmares and darkest fears began to surface in her mind's eye as she descended into the darkness.

_Hollow darkness wrenching the air from her chest. Grief twisting the Force, clogging the smooth channels of its currents. Horror—The temple massacre. Bodies. Wide, unseeing eyes of the younglings—cold skin, still, never to draw a breath again—_

She couldn't _see_ anything. All she could hear was the wailing of the Force, growing louder and louder and louder in rhythm with the pounding of her heart that she was sure was going to burst out of her chest—

The roaring in her ears grew to a climax—

And was silenced. Immense Dark waved its hands with authority, a composer ending the creeping symphony that had been on the verge of shattering the young Knight.

An eerie sapphire glow shown off to the side as the cave widened. She slipped out into the open and the cave grew even more still. A chill swept over her and as she exhaled, she could see her breath crystalize in front of her.

The Sith Holocron sat on a small stone pedestal, radiating both intense, unnerving darkness and a disconcerting light. The young Jedi cautiously stepped forward, pulling her jacket off in preparation for the frightening task before her. She had found that which she sought…she only to reach out and take it. The thought alone inspired awful fear. Time seemed to slow as she stared into the glowing, blue cube.

The Force grew hollow and piercingly cold and the air froze. Stillness. No movement. Not even the dust was disturbed as she slid slowly, warily around the pedestal. Allyah shook her head, trying to block out the lingering whispers of the Dark that promised freedom, but at a greater cost. Fear rose from her chest and began to lodge in her throat as she stepped slowly closer to the manifestation of pure evil.

What had been drilled into her head since she was a crecheling? What always came after fear? _Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. _A violent, involuntary shudder ran down her spine. Her fuzzy psyche grasped blindly for the Force, a drowning woman's last gasp of air before the undertow pulled her into the dark waters below—

Her commlink chimed and a voice crackled through the air.

"Have you found it?"

"Y-yes."

An audible sigh of relief heaved over the comm channel. "Come out? You've been there for hours."

Allyah moved slowly, waking up from a terrible, fevered nightmare. She reached forward, blanketing her mind in the Light and wrapped the cube in her coat. Instantly, her muscles tightened and contracted, _cramping, burning._ The Holocron clearly was not interested in being found. It clearly did not _want _fellowship with veiled Light wrapped in flesh.

Her knees nearly buckled, but the Knight grit her teeth, forcing her tense muscles to straighten. She had been trained for this. She was a Shadow, trained to fight and destroy the darkness.

"I'm going to need help. Gently. I might need you to guide me up." Her voice was strained with the weight of the dark burden she bore.

Slowly, painstakingly, Khai made her way back up through the tunnel. With each turn she made, the Holocron seemed to get heavier and heavier.

* * *

_Green. Blue. Orange. Yellow. Violet. Discipline and justice, tradition and compassion ensconced into columns of tamed fire and light. _

_ The Jedi Council's lightsabers illuminated the dark room, casting long shadows across the floor. Light shown in the darkness, _

_ "We are all Jedi. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today, we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed." The words reverberated through time, centuries of individual rituals binding the past to the present and the present to the future. _

_ "Zave Vorun, come forth." Soft footsteps echoed on the hallowed ground of the council chambers. _

_The Padawan knelt in the circle of Masters. Submission—always to the Force. The Force always came before the Self, before the realm of flesh. _

_ "By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee, Knight of the Republic." The words he had longed to hear finally were spoken. A weighty joy glimmered, shining through the solemnity of the moment. _

_ The newly knighted man rose, smiling. "I am a Jedi."_

* * *

Vorun looked down at the tracking device tucked inside his tattered tunic. The blinking, crimson lights mocked him, a reminder of who he was working for and the price he was having to pay for freedom.

He closed his eyes, reaching out into the Force, seeking answers, guidance and peace. This was not how he had imagined his Knighthood happening. Years before, he had grand ambitions of serving the Republic as a Knight, an Investigator, bringing justice to those who could find none.

Instead, he had been reduced to bargaining for his life and the life of the one he loved with the very darkness he had once endeavored to conquer. Self-loathing began to build in his chest. What had he become? What had he done?

He had sold his soul to the Darkness….

But there was still hope. There was the Force.

_I am a Jedi_. _Always. _With a deep breath and a split second burst of anger, the tracking device crumpled in his fingers.

They needed to move quickly.

* * *

The Dark Lord of the Sith watched the radar screen with great anticipation. Soon. So soon. By sunset he would have the means to the end of the Emperor's reign. He would be able to exact the price the Emperor owed him—blood.

With this particular Holocron, he could learn the mysterious ways of Sith sorcery and use every weakness the arrogant Sith Master did not know he had against him…and crush him. _Slowly. Agonizingly. He will suffer as I have suffered. _

But Vader's glorious lust for revenge actually coming to fruition all rested on the shoulders of the easily manipulated vermin that he had extracted from the wreckage of the Jedi Order mere days before.

Yes, so soon….

The small blip on the radar screen representing Jedi Knight Zave Vorun sputtered, then died. Darth Vader looked down at the homing device and released an audible growl of rage. He pushed the shuttle's engines harder toward the destination on the other side of the small planet.

* * *

Allyah gasped, breathing in the sweet, free air. Two strong hands pulled her from the cave's mouth, urgency tingling in their fingertips.

"We have to go." Zave blurted, pulling her to her feet as her knees threatened to fall from beneath her.

"Give me a minute." Her head was spinning and the Holocron burned the flesh it was tucked against, searing her ribs and freezing the breath in her lungs.

"No. I'm sorry. We have to go _now_." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. "We can't wait."

Allyah froze, pushing away from him. She knew that tone. The urgency, the undertone of fear—

Where had she heard that tone before?

Her eyes widened. Corellia. The Inquisitors. The well-meaning betrayal. When their lives, which were already in pieces, were ground to tiny dust and cast onto the merciless wind.

The Dathomiri Knight shook her head, refusing to take another step until she had answers. "Zave…what _now_?" Her tone cut through his defensive focus like a lightsaber to a piece of flimsy.

"There isn't time. Vader's coming. _Please. _Just trust me." His blue eyes burned with desperation. "I'll explain everything when we get away from here."

"Zave!" Allyah cried out startled, stumbling along behind him as Vorun began to drag her across the uneven land. "Are you insane? What the _kriff_ is Vader doing here?"

"He wants the Holocron."

"We have to destroy it. He can't have it."

"I _know_, Allyah, but now is not the time for discussion. We have to get to the spaceport and get out of here!"

And then they were running, dashing through the rocky terrain. On the near horizon, they could see a small spaceport.

"If we get out of here alive, you never have to forgive me. Trust me. You can hate me as long as you live, but I just have to keep you safe." He was yelling, frantic as he sprinted. Allyah staggered, reeling under the weight of the Holocron and his words.

Finally, they reached the spaceport. Her ship was just on the other side of the maze of warehouses. Maybe, _just maybe_ they could make it.

The Dark Lord's shuttle touched down soundlessly in the midst of the labyrinth of abandoned buildings.


End file.
